So while that winter escape to foreign lands might be out of the question for the next little while, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on experiencing delicious dishes from around the world! The city centre has a plethora of amazing restaurants offering authentic international dishes, so we’ve rounded up a selection of those offering takeaway and delivery, to take you on a trip of the senses. Have some fun and enjoy an around the world trip for your taste buds from the comfort of your home!
The Mediterranean
La Zeppa
A Mediterranean holiday is high up on many people’s bucket lists, and we totally understand why - romance, perfect beaches, history, and most importantly, extremely delicious food.
Bring the taste of the Mediterranean to your home with the help of Feriza’s Kitchen and their traditional Turkish mezze style dishes featuring labneh, falafel, baba ganoush and hummus.
Enjoy a mouthwatering mussel, prawn and chorizo paella from La Zeppa, or Ima Cuisine's Mousakka and their famous choc hazelnut cookies or hot cross buns.
Experience the blend of Spanish and Italian flavours at Vivace with dishes such as their roast duck, mushroom, sage & pecorino risotto.
Italy
Baduzzi
Taking a culinary trip through Italy is effortless in the city centre, with endless options to get your pizza and pasta fix, it’ll be hard to ‘travel’ to this country just once!
For outrageously tasty pizza we recommend ordering from Toto Pizza, Dante's Pizzeria or That’s Amore. If you’ve been hanging out for a fresh authentic pasta, look no further than Amano or Portofino and their fettuccine, penne, cannelloni, rigatoni and spaghetti dishes.
For the modern take on Italian cuisine head to Baduzzi in Wynyard Quarter for their outstanding hand crafted meatballs (the “Dodici ore” is a crowd favourite - slow cooked lamb meatballs w preserved lemon, rosemary & spiced gravy).
To finish off your Italian tour, the team at Gelatiamo have you covered with creative new gelato flavours such as avocado, earl grey, black sesame and butter cup (pumpkin) to try!
If you want to try your hand at making your own pasta at home, visit Amano’s online grocery store to purchase their fresh authentic pasta sheets which can be used to create a range of pasta dishes! Amano is known for providing the freshest pasta experience in New Zealand, and now you can bring the same experience to your home.
France
La Petite Fourchette
Strolling under the Eiffel tower, visiting the Louvre, and tasting wine from Bordeaux will make for an unforgettable trip in the future. For now, set up your own French café at home and complete your trip to France with croissants, pain au chocolat and croque-monsieur from La Petite Fourchette.
The Americas
Culprit
Take a ‘road trip’ through the Americas with the dishes found at our drool worthy American style restaurants. Think Montreal style bagels from Best Ugly Bagels or New York bagels from Bagel Love.
Get your southern fix from Miss Clawdy with their flavourful Jambalaya, cornbread and po'boy sandwiches filled with crispy fried chicken.
Stop in at Juke Joint for their tender and juicy BBQ meat, pulled jackfruit or smoked tofu to pair with tater tots, mac and cheese or the Juke slaw.
For an American style menu with a Yum Cha twist, hit up Culprit for specialties such as duck leg tacos and cornflake fried eggplant.
Drop in to Elliott Stables for Cajun specialties like buffalo wings and Texas beef brisket from Bonz Cajun Kitchen.
Finish off in Latin America, with the arepas de pollo (soft corn cakes filled with shredded chicken cheese and pico de gallo) from Besos Latinos or street style tacos from Frida Cocina.
It may take you a few days to get the full experience, so take your time and enjoy the smells and tastes, soon enough you will have travelled all across the Americas through food right from the city centre.
Asia
1947 Eatery
It won’t be too long before we can visit the wonders that can be found in Asia, so to prepare for your next adventure start off with getting a taste of the food from some amazing city centre eateries.
Travel through the senses to Vietnam with Vietnamese Delight and their authentic pho, or peppered soy shaking beef and sago pudding from Cafe Hanoi.
Get all your Thai favourites from Aroy Thai, and stop off in the Philippines with Boracay Garden for beef kare kare (beef stew in peanut sauce).
Continue your tour through Asia in Japan with Ebisu's signature sashimi and ebi mayo roll, or experience the finest tastes of Malaysia with PappaRich's authentic laksa.
Try the flavours of India from 1947 Eatery and their famous curries or Cassia for a modern twist (their signature lamb Seekh kebab curry is a must try).
Visit China to fill up on bao buns from Bao Baby Bao in Elliott Stables and fulfill your love of dumplings from, The Rolling Pin, Sumthin Dumplin and XuXu Dumpling Bar.
Oceania
The Grove
Travel doesn’t have to mean long flights across the world, travel close and visit the beautiful Pacific Islands or stay in New Zealand and connect to the land.
Try your own at home Kava night thanks to Four Shells Kava Room and Shop. Play music from the South Pacific Islands, watch traditional dance videos and have fun in your bubble experiencing the rich cultural history of this ancient drink.
For a little slice of home, The Grove’s modern New Zealand menu is the perfect choice to enjoy fresh, local, home-grown ingredients taking you on a journey of discovery to encapsulate and define New Zealand food.
If you are a city centre business we would love to hear from you about what you are currently offering at Alert Level 3. Please email us at info@heartofthecity.co.nz so we can support you by spreading the word and including you in relevant wrap ups.